Brown house moth

Classification

Secondary pest; Grain feeder
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Acronym: HPS

Description

• Adults are bronze-brown with darker flecks in the forewings.
• Hindwings are considerably broader than in Endrosis species.
• Adults range in size from 8 to 14 mm long, with a wingspan of 17 to 25 mm.
• Adult males are smaller than females.
• Larvae are white with a brown head capsule, reaching a length of 18 to 20 mm when mature.

Similar species

• Almond moth (Cadra cautella)
• Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella)

Commodities affected

• Carpet, cork, cereals, cereal products, meals, pulses, seeds, dried fruit, dried plants, fur, wool, feathers, leather, book bindings, paper

Signs of infestation

• Grain connected by silken material, although this is not unique to this species
• Silk and frass (excrement) are present

Damage

• Damage is not distinctive.
• Larvae produce silk webbing as they feed, although not conspicuous amounts.
• Irregular holes may be present in commodity attacked.

How to control

• Control grain insect pests

Geographic range

• Is found worldwide
• Is most abundant in temperate regions
• In Canada, it is found only in southern Ontario

Where found

• Is more often associated with houses and apartments
• Can digest wool as larvae and can eat through plastic and insulation materials
• Will live in bird nests in the wild and will feed on cadavers of birds
• Indicates aged residues and poor sanitation when present in large numbers

Life history

• Adults lay eggs in and around the food source.
• Larvae require high humidity for rapid development.
• Larvae canenter diapause (a dormant state that slows growth).
• Adults do not feed on commodity.
• Diapausing (dormant) larvae are resistant to desiccation and to a certain degree, insecticide application.